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Reproducible D/Pd Ratio >1 and Excess Heat Correlation by 1-µs-Pulse, High-Current Electrolysis

Francesco Celani, Antonio Spallone, Paolo Tripodi, Alessandra Petrocchi, Daniele di Gioacchino, Massimiliano Boutet, Paolo Marini, Vittorio Di Stefano, Marco Diociaiuti, William Collis

Fusion Science and Technology / Volume 29 / Number 3 / May 1996 / Pages 398-404

Technical Paper / Electrolytic Devices for Energy Generation / dx.doi.org/10.13182/FST96-A30727

A high-current (up to 100 A), short-pulse (1-µs duration) electrolysis technique is presented that permits high loading (D/Pd up to 1.2) of deuterium in palladium cathodes. Several different cold-worked palladium plates were used as cathodes, and some underwent surface treatments (oxidation or addition of intermetallic compounds). The surface-treated plates showed atypical deuterium absorption dynamics, and the D/Pd loading ratio exceeded 1. Moreover, during initial loading, these cathodes showed anomalous excess heat (up to 80%) far greater than the absorption enthalpy. The pure palladium surface plates did not show this effect.